The invention consists of an apparatus that aids in the analysis of substances. This device is a new and improved reagent test strip.
Various types of reagent test strips have been used to determine the chemical composition of biological samples or other types of materials. The analysis is done mostly by visual means, however instrumental methods can be employed to determine the quantity of chemical in the sample.
Reagent test strips are used to determine the content of various substances such as glucose, ketones, bilirubin, blood, urobilinogen, nitrite, ethanol or protein in biological samples. These strips are also used to detect or determine the quantity of chemicals such as chlorine, nitrite or ethanol in nonbiological samples.
These reagent test strips use chemicals and enzymes alone or in combination to determine the presence and relative concentration of a substance in a sample. The reagent test strip comprises a paper impregnated with the appropriate reagent chemicals or enzymes. This treated paper called the reaction pad is the tool used to detect or quantitate specific substances in a sample. The detection or analysis is started by exposing the reaction pad to the sample by placing the sample directly on the pad or by dipping the reaction pad into the sample. There are several variations of these reagent test strips in the prior art but they do not contain a feature to collect the sample and transfer it onto the reaction pad. The purpose of this disclosure is to describe a novel reagent test strip featuring a convenient method for collecting and transferring the sample onto the reaction pad.
Detecting the presence of a substance in a sample is based on a reaction pad color change, while the relative concentration of the substance in the sample is found by the intensity of the color change. The level of ethanol, glucose, ketones or other substances in the sample of unknown composition can be discerned from the color of the reaction pad when compared to a chart having colors representing specific levels of the appropriate chemical. Reagent test strips now in use contain color charts or color blocks that are seperate from the reagent test strip. These charts are normally printed on the package containing these strips. The separation of the color blocks from the reagent strips are inconvenient and a disadvantage. The present disclosure describes an improved reagent test strip that contains the color blocks on the reagent test strip itself for convenient comparison to the color change of the reaction pad. Analysis done by the reagent test strip kits now in use require at least four seperate components that are part of the kit and are necessary for substance analysis. These components comprise the reaction pad, attached to the strip, a color chart, a special blotter to absorb excess sample from the treated paper and a container to hold the sample. These components are not attached to the reagent test strip and must be assembled in a common area for chemical analysis. Once assembled the chemical or substance analysis can begin. This disclosure describes an apparatus that combines all these components into a one piece strip. Each component is attached onto the reagent test strip. This reagent test strip device eliminates assembly of a kit.
Analysis by reagent test strips now in use begins by dipping the test strip into the sample or bringing the sample in contact with the reaction pad in such a way that the reaction pad attached to the strip is exposed to the sample for analysis. With some types of samples, for example urine or saliva a container may be required to collect the sample so that the reagent test strip may be exposed to the sample. After removing the reagent test strip from the sample, it may be necessary in some cases to blot the reaction pad to remove excess sample. Following blotting, the relative concentration of the substance in the sample is found by comparing the color of the reaction pad to a color chart. The color chart found on test kits in the prior art are always seperate from the reagent test strip, while the new proposed reagent test strip device contains the color chart or color blocks on the reagent test strip itself.